One of the last Navajo code-talkers died on October 19th, aged 107

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Navajo Code Talkers and Language Complexity

  • Navajo is described as structurally and lexically distant from English and other well-studied families at the time, and very complex (e.g., lack of regular verb patterns).
  • The wartime system was not just “speak Navajo on the radio” but a code layered on top of Navajo, using metaphorical terms (e.g., everyday words mapped to weapons or locations).
  • This “code within a language” meant even a fluent Navajo speaker without the key could not reliably interpret messages.

Why Japan Didn’t Use a Similar Approach

  • Several comments ask why Japan didn’t use minority languages or dialects as codes.
  • Candidates like Ainu or Kagoshima/Satsuma dialect are discussed; claims exist that a submarine used Kagoshima dialect, but no strong sources are cited (marked as unclear).
  • Explanations offered:
    • Strong ideological commitment to “one people, one language” in Imperial Japan; suppression of dialects and other languages (e.g., Okinawan, Ainu).
    • Minority languages had few speakers; many would be accessible to Soviet or Allied linguists.
    • Japanese dialect differences were not isolated enough from wider Japanese to be cryptographically useful, unlike Native American languages in the US context.

Naming, Identity, and Exonyms

  • Discussion contrasts the externally used term “Navajo” with the people’s own term “Diné.”
  • Some Diné activists now prefer “Diné,” seeing “Navajo” as colonial, but multiple generations identify with “Navajo,” and formal renaming proposals have been rejected.
  • Broader debate on how English uses exonyms (e.g., Germany/Deutsch, Japan/Nippon) and how Japanese sometimes hew closer to countries’ own names, with exceptions.

War Crimes and Postwar Treatment

  • Several comments detail extreme Japanese atrocities against POWs and civilians and note ongoing right-wing historical revisionism in Japan.
  • Others highlight that German and Soviet treatment of POWs and civilians, and Allied conduct and postwar policies (including recruitment of Nazi and Japanese war criminals, harsh treatment of Germans), were also brutal; some argue it is misleading to single out one side.
  • There is extended argument over how much justice was delivered at Nuremberg and in postwar Europe, with conflicting claims about the scale of punishment vs. impunity.

Codebreaking, Intelligence, and Operational Security

  • Story of a Navajo POW tortured by Japan: he understood words but not the underlying code, so the effort failed.
  • Discussion of code words and traffic analysis:
    • The Midway operation is cited as an example of clever US use of known-plaintext deception to identify Japanese codewords.
    • Enigma-breaking is discussed, including German overconfidence, reuse of daily keys, and use of predictable messages (weather, convoy reports) as cribs.
  • Some posters propose alternative wartime practices (e.g., one-time pads, newspaper-based pads) and criticize historical operational security as naïve or hubristic.

Cultural and Personal Reflections

  • One thread focuses on the obituary’s themes: collectivism (“we” rather than “I”), the power of metaphor in language, and clothing and colors as meaningful, protective symbols.
  • Another comment finds it “strange” the obituary does not foreground Kinsel’s Navajo name, seeing that omission as significant.
  • Small museums honoring code talkers are mentioned, including a Burger King exhibit in Kayenta and a Monument Valley visitor center room.

Obituaries, Media, and Representation

  • The Economist’s obituaries are praised for depth and focus on lesser-known figures; other notable obits are cited.
  • Some lament the lack of a truly good film about Navajo code talkers; a specific Hollywood attempt is characterized as poor.
  • Brief meta-comment: if AI could research and write obituaries at that level, some would consider it a milestone.